A space optimal, deterministic, self-stabilizing, leader election algorithm for unidirectional rings

Abstract

A new, self-stabilizing algorithm for electing a leader on a unidirectional ring of prime size is presented for the composite atomicity model with a centralized daemon. Its space complexity is optimal to within a small additive constant number of bits per processor, significantly improving previous self-stabilizing algorithms for this problem. In other models or when the ring size is composite, no deterministic solutions exist, because it is impossible to break symmetry.